They have tried many times in their own passive-aggressive way to apologise to him, but he won’t hear of it. I played a major part in the drama and, of course in hindsight, I wish I had handled things differently.

We have a four-year-old son and having strong family ties has always been what I want for him because that was how I was raised. I really want him to know our family history and hear all the stories, and I want the older members of the family to be part of his life.

I’m also worried about him finding out about this feud when he’s older and I don’t want him to think it’s OK to hold a grudge against someone, let alone people in your own family. I have pleaded with my husband to just let it go and be the bigger person, but he won’t do it.

Please help me find a way to convince him that our marriage, our son, and our peace and happiness are more important than him getting his feelings hurt three years ago. No matter how low their blows were, I want everyone to be reconciled.

Coleen says..

I’m afraid you have to accept that while they are your family by blood, they are only his by marriage and he will never love or care about them like you do.

You don’t say the reason for the feud, but there must have been more to it than just hurt feelings if he won’t even consider talking to them again.

However, none of this stops you from saying to him that while you respect his decision, you still want your son to be part of their lives, and he should respect your wish.

You should still be able to take your son round to visit your family. As long as when you do go round, they don’t badmouth his dad. Explain to your family you won’t tolerate that. You can’t force your husband to make amends, but you can agree to disagree and put your son’s interests first.

Dear Coleen

I’m a 17-year-old man and I have never had any success with women – in fact, I’ve never even kissed a girl.

I wouldn’t say that I’m an unattractive person and I’ve never had trouble making friends, but every girl that I have asked out doesn’t seem to be interested in me, despite the fact that I’m a nice person.

While everyone else is enjoying being in relationships, I’m on my own and feel so alone.

Even my 13-year old brother has been with more girls than me and he always brags about how he’s done this and that! Sometimes I think I’ll be on my own forever. What should I do?

Coleen says

You have to stop worrying about it because that will be manifesting itself as desperation with every girl you meet.

And you’re only 17 – you’re a boy, not a man, and you have plenty of time to get into a relationship. There is no right or wrong time. As for your little brother, a lot of very young people tend to brag about this kind of thing to make themselves seem older.

And most of the time it’s just a pack of lies!

Let’s face it, how many girls can he have dated at 13?

Dear Coleen,

I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for seven months and it feels like we are in love.

But the other night one of my friends told me he was asking her weird questions.

Apparently, he asked her things like, ‘Would you go out with me if I was single?’ and ‘What do you think of my looks?’

I love my boyfriend but I’m scared he may fancy my friend. Should I be worried?

Coleen says..

Yes, I would definitely be worried about how committed he is to you if he’s flirting this heavily with other girls.

He’s not that smart, either, if he’s coming on to your mates and thinking they’re not going to tell you what he’s been up to.

Challenge him and see what he’s got to say for himself.

In my opinion, he is either not taking your relationship seriously (and definitely not as seriously as you are) or he’s just incredibly insecure and is looking for reassurance from other girls.

He clearly thinks he can get away with flirting so blatantly with your mates, so you need to show him you’re not a pushover and tell him you won’t stick around if he carries on like that.

What’s great is that you haven’t kissed or slept with a girl just so you can brag about it.

It’s good that you’re waiting for the right girl to come along. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.